Tom Green County Democratic Party Chair Outlines His Progressive Agenda He is Pushing on Rural Texans

 

OPINION – When San Angelo Live LIVE! ran the press release about my being elected the chair of the Non-Urban, Rural Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party, the headline said that I have been selected to push the “’progressive agenda of the Democratic Party on rural Texans.” OK, I’ll take that headline, but let me define our “progressive agenda.”

First, I am comfortable with the word “progressive.” Democrats are why we have Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, most agricultural farm programs, most civil rights and voting rights legislation (with help from Republicans back in the 1960s, but the GOP no longer cares about these issues), and most of the other positive things government does in modern society. Thank God for forward-thinking progressives.

But what do I want rural Texans, who voted for Ted Cruz roughly 75 to 25 percent over Beto O’Rourke, to know about the Texas Democratic Party? What is my agenda in this new leadership role? Of course, I can only speak for myself but I feel the state party shares these convictions.

Let me list my priorities.

  1. Protect the First Amendment and religious liberty for all Texans and Americans in the true spirit of our Founding Fathers. The genius of America is Religious Freedom for everyone, believers and non-believers; it is our most distinguishing value. Might just mention Freedom of the Press is in the First Amendment as well and it is certainly under attack.
  2. Increase state support for our public schools to cover 50 percent of the cost of a student to attend a Texas public school. State funding covered 68 percent of the cost in the 1960s, today it provides only 36 percent. Rural Communities revolve around their local public schools. The public school is the most important institution in the community.
  3. Stop the state from transferring money from public schools to support private religious schools, which violates the First Amendment and hobbles public education. Vouchers NEVER work.
  4. Lower our property taxes, which can only happen if the state increases its funding for public education. Plenty of studies prove that our property taxes keep going up as the state pays less and less of the cost of student to attend public school.
  5. Protect private property rights. I am a rancher. My great-grandfather came to Concho County in 1879. I don’t mind putting a wall along the border where it will be effective, if it is actually effective, but I don’t support taking farmers’ and ranchers’ land to keep a silly campaign promise. Try to take my land and I’ll remind you I also strongly support the Second Amendment.
  6. Return to respecting local control and decision-making. County commissioners in Nacogdoches recently passed a resolution demanding the state stop passing unfunded mandates which now eat up half the county’s budget. Another reason for our high property taxes.
  7. Expand health care for all Texans by expanding Medicaid, which is paid by the federal government for the most part. Those are our tax dollars we send to Washington that Governor Greg Abbott won’t allow to come back to Texas, hurting and often shuttering our rural hospitals. We all know if you are sick and turn up at the emergency room, you will be treated. BUT we, the community, pays for it in local taxes. This amounts to being taxed twice!

Now, if you want to call that agenda “progressive,” so be it. I think it’s just common sense. I also think at least 80 percent of you agree with every word I just wrote.

But, here’s the punch line. The Texas Republican Party, the one that many of you just voted to keep in leadership of Texas by a margin of 70 to 30 percent in Tom Green County, doesn’t agree with one single thing I write here.

The Republican Party believes in religious freedom for Christians only, is destroying our public schools and wants to give your tax dollars to private schools (Cruz spoke in favor of this last week in Austin). Republicans will continue raising your property taxes rather than taxing big business (trying again this year to do away with the franchise tax that will take $9 billion out of our state budget). Republicans are happy to take property away from farmers and ranchers on the border and to keep making local property owners pay for county mandates so rich people in Houston and Dallas don’t have to help. And healthcare? They couldn’t care less about health care for working poor, or care only so much as it doesn’t raise rich people’s taxes.

So, if what I wrote makes sense to you, please look more closely at Texas Democrats and consider voting differently in 2020. If not, God loves you anyway, and so do I.

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The reason it's referred to as "pushing" your Prigressive agenda is because 70% of Concho Valkey voters know you're full of horse manure. If it weren't for the liberal editors of this poorly written rag, you wouldn't even have a forum to spew your hot air. The conservatives of the Concho Valkey see thru your bs. Judging from recent elections, so do many Democrats....

Most of what was written here seems very reasonable. Personally, I just can't get past how the infanticide or "abortion" issue that Democrats support wasn't touched on. Between taxpayer funded euthanasia and forcing insurers to cover sexual reassignment surgeries, I can't imagine ever marking any ballot with a vote for a Democratic candidate. (You can't spare a stretch a couple of yards wide for the sake of national security? I'd hate to be your meter reader!)

Pevine, Thu, 01/31/2019 - 14:53

But have issues with the things you don't say. No one can dispute what allowing freedom of religion for all people has done to Europe. Turns out some religions want more than freedom! Rita is right about the abortion issue - not mentioned. Do you suppose a retired Baptist preacher's former congregants would watch the video by Dr. Anthony Levitino and support the progressive position on abortion? Open borders is just choosing illegal entrants over American citizens, but we didn't hear how that was a positive "progressive" position.
One can easily state half a dozen republican positions that will be popular with everyone as well. We don't vote republican because of the handful of things we agree with democrats on, we do it for the multitude of things we disagree on. Fix those and we can talk, Mr. Currie.

The First Amendment says nothing about using state money to support private and religious schools. It says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." To be perfectly honest, schools, public or otherwise, are not addressed in the Constitution at all. Maybe you should read Section 1 Article 8 again, and see what the enumerated powers of the Congress actually are.

Some school districts in the area encourage transfers to get that extra state money, smaller schools stay viable, and it relieves some of the overcrowding in the bigger schools.

I always think property taxes are too high, and I also think that inhabitants of Tom Green, who inevitably shop in San Angelo and pay those extra sales taxes, should at least have some say in if they are collected or not, especially since we get little benefit from those taxes (our own form of taxation without representation).

As to the TGC Republicans, every primary season when we vote, we get a chance to tell them what we want them to work towards, and what we don't like. If we feel that strongly about it, we go to the monthly meetings and make our opinions known.

I also have to agree with Rita - as long as the Dems want to punish a baby with the death penalty just for being inconveniently conceived, I will vote for Life. If some mom feels she's being "punished with a baby," there are plenty of people willing to adopt, and we should make it easier for them to do so, instead of always making it harder and more expensive.

johnQ, Thu, 01/31/2019 - 15:47

Democrats are evil baby killing monsters. Once you get past that their ideas on anything else also suck.

Poor David, he is a nice guy but not a very good Dem! I mean do other Dems know he supports the 2nd Amendment? I am surprised they haven't kicked him out yet. As for the rest I think Rutherford and Rita have handled it pretty well. Religions freedom means the right to believe what you believe and to be free from the government telling you what you have to believe. Dems think the Government should be able to make a baker bake a cake for someone they don't want to celebrating something they think violates their core religious beliefs. Not very free if you ask me. The other part that is pretty scary is David seems to think that if he moves the cups fast enough you won't be able to follow the ball. Simple fact is whether the State pays 36% or 50% they are paying with OUR tax dollars. David thinks we can spend more if we 'make' the State or the Feds pay for it. David, it is still OUR tax dollars. If my property tax goes down but everything else I buy goes up, how did that help me? Obamacare was going to help me too! Geez... I love my Dem friends, but just don't ever put them in charge of the money. They are sweet caring people but maybe that is why they stink at running the government.

Mr Currie, thank you for giving us your opinion. However, if you believed everything you state, then you would be a moderate Republican. Since you strongly state you're a Democrat, I can only conclude you are full of horse hockey since no Democrat is interested in anything local; only whatever doesn't offend them!

It has been a pleasure reading the excellent rants and articles generated as a result of Mr. Currie's so-called progressive agenda. I'd now like to tag on to the conversation. Mr. Currie states in his article that the Republican Party believes in religious freedom only for Christians. That is not true. Perhaps he and I disagree on the definition of religion. If a religion exercises beliefs that conflict with our Constitution, such as honor killings or child sacrifice or that its adherents are to be governed by another set of laws entirely, then that "religion" has entered into dictating a way of life not compatible with American norms and ideals. Not accepting such a system wanting to be called a religion is not infringement of religious freedom, but rather a desire to preserve freedom and liberty afforded to all under current law.

It has been a pleasure reading the excellent rants and articles generated by Mr. Currie's so-called progressive agenda piece. I'd now like to tag on to the conversation. Mr. Currie states in his article that the Republican Party wants religious freedom only for Christians. That is not true. Perhaps he and I disagree on the definition of religion. A religion that exercises beliefs that are in conflict with our Constitution, such as honor killings or child sacrifice or that its adherents are to be governed by a separate set of laws entirely, is not compatible with American norms and ideals, not to mention American law. Not accepting with open arms such a system, even if it represents itself as a religion, is far from being a case of infringement on religious freedom. Instead, it is a desire to preserve and protect the liberty and freedom afforded to all under current law.

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